A Time For Heroes
by klcm
Summary: Garcia finds out she's Morgan's hero too... Post-ep piece for 'The Company' - 7x20


**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**A/N:**_ So the end of 'The Company' was perfect, but what's wrong with dreaming a little ehh? I hope you like this little ONEshot as a mini addition to the episode..._

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Time For Heroes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

_Love is not singular except in syllable. _~Marvin Taylor.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Time For Heroes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

"Dere-" Sarah said as she came back around the corner to grab her brother. Their mom had just rang to ask her to bring her brother back for the family reunion. They now had Cindy, they wanted Derek to be a part of the celebrations too.

Derek and Penelope looked up, Penelope immediately sitting upright.

"Sorry," She started, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine, Sarah, what's up?" Derek asked, "I thought you and Auntie were getting Cindy home."

"We were," She started and smiled at her brother. "Desi just got brought home. Mum said for you to come back for a little reunion," Sarah told him with an excited smile. "But if you're busy," She pointed to Penelope a little, "I mean I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Looking from his sister to his Baby Girl, Derek felt split. He didn't want to miss out on family time, but Penelope was here, for him. She had flown out for him and only him.

"Go," Penelope pushed him, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Baby Girl," Derek started, not quite wanting to leave.

Penelope had to smile at him, "I'll be there when you get home."

"But you flew out here," Derek fretted as he looked at her.

Penelope smiled sweetly, "For my hero, it's worth every penny." She looked him in the eyes and shrugged, "Nothing is more important than family, Der. Yours needs you right now. More than I need you."

"Are you really sure?" Derek questioned as he watched her schooled expression.

"Really, really, uber really," She joked back and laughed a little when he did. "I have other superheroes y'know?" She continued to tease.

"Ouch," Derek said placing a hand to his heart, "Us heroes still have feelings."

"You'll always be my favourite," Penelope responded to that, "So go, before I strip you-" She paused for a moment and grinned dirtily at him, "Of your powers and make you a mere mortal that is."

"Thank you, Silly Girl," Derek told her midst chuckle and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry for my attitude earlier."

"All is fair in love and war, Stud," She breathed confidently at him. "I forgave you way before you forgave yourself, so go." She tilted her head towards Derek's sister's direction and smiled, "Don't keep your mother waiting to have her baby boy back."

Smiling at the thought of being back with his mom, Derek took one last look at Penelope, "Okay," He said as he put a hand on his head, "I'll see you when I get back."

"I'll leave a light on," She countered and then gave him a look, "Now go!"

"I'm going," He said as he turned and went towards his sister, he looked back at Penelope once more as she sat on the table where he had left her and she gave him another smile.

Sighing, Penelope put her head down as she played with the ring on her hand once Derek had disappeared. As much as she wanted her best friend right now, she knew exactly just who was more important and she would still be in this mood when he got back. After all, she wasn't here for herself; she was here to be with Derek, to give him that extra ounce of support he needed.

"Hey Baby Girl," Derek's voice drifted in moments later. Watching her look up quickly, Derek smiled, "Mamma Morgan wants to meet you if you're up for it..."

Penelope smiled, "I'm sure she has enough on her hands right now with your family."

Walking into the room, Derek put his hand out to her, "You're classed as _my _family, Baby, so c'mon."

"Fine," Penelope relented and took his hand as he helped her off of the table. "But only if it's okay."

"It's okay," Derek retorted at her. "You wanna know something?" He asked as she grabbed her purse and asked Emily if she would take her go-bag, when Penelope looked at him questioning he had to smirk. "You being here shows me you're my hero, Baby Girl," Derek said as he pushed a kiss to her head again and walked towards where Derek's family were waiting and watching.

"What's brought that on?" Penelope asked as Derek slipped his hand back into hers as they started to walk out at last.

"Just thought you deserved to know that's all," Derek replied and smiled at his sister ready to introduce Penelope.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Time For Heroes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**

After watching Penelope be brought into his family so lovingly and acceptingly, Derek had fluttered between his family members and watched as Penelope continually got along with every Morgan member she came in contact with. She had the behaviour and temperament of a Morgan and she fitted in perfect – like he had always known.

When he found her in the kitchen alone, he told his mom to give them a few minutes and proceeded to make her a cup of tea. "You don't seem happy," Derek said as he came to sit next to her as he handed her the hot drink. "I noticed that when I turned back in the PD earlier. Something's not quite right."

"It's nothing," Penelope batted his concerns away and looked down at her drink.

Derek brought his hand to her chin to make her look up at him, "Don't lie to me, Penelope. What's happened?" Watching her look at him, he rose an eyebrow, "C'mon?"

"Kevin dumped me," She said and her tone didn't show hurt or misery, but she seemed shocked and out of sorts over it. The news hadn't started to sink in all the while she had no one to tell, but Derek was the one that brought reality slamming back down around her.

"What?" Derek pressed in surprise, "Why?"

"He broke up with me about two seconds before my cab arrived," Penelope told him and smiled sadly to her best friend, but her eyes began to water showing how much that hurt to admit. "One last ultimatum and I snapped. I can't choose over you."

"But you love Kevin," Derek pointed out the obvious.

Penelope sighed, "If he loved me, he wouldn't give me ultimatums." She shrugged it away like it wasn't anything, but the tear trailing down her cheek proved her statement false. "He told me that I was selfish and unappreciative." Penelope sucked in a difficult breath and tried to remain strong, feeling Derek's arms around her, Penelope literally collapsed. She didn't want to be weak and she didn't want to be the crying mess right now, not when it was such a happy time for him. After all, he had kept a lie and rectified it, "Maybe he's right, I don't know."

"He's a stupid man, Penelope. So stupid it's unreal," Derek soothed her lovingly. "You know none of it's true right?" He felt her shrug again and hated that she had no words to tell him again. "Every day I have known you I have felt nothing, but selfless behaviour and fully appreciated by you. The man's a fool." He told her as they parted and wiped the tears away from her right cheek.

"I don't know," Penelope responded nonchalantly, "You don't need this," Penelope smiled past her pains and smiled at him. "You gave your family something amazing, it's a happy occasion. I should leave you to it."

"You don't have to be strong for me, Penelope," Derek told her comfortingly. "We're not like that, you and me. You can be weak."

Penelope found she couldn't speak for a moment as the tears came. She hated feeling this pathetic.

"Oh, sorry," Fran said as she came in and saw Derek comforting Penelope. She watched the woman quickly wipe her face and force a smile, "No need to put up walls around me, Dear."

"You don't need a sobbing girl in your kitchen," Penelope quipped as she tried to find some composure and tried to laugh a little to disperse the mood. "I'll be okay in a moment."

"You cry it out," Fran advised Penelope lovingly and smile. "Derek, give us a few moments."

"Oh, Mrs Morgan!" Penelope objected.

"It's Fran," Fran corrected Penelope sweetly.

"Fran, there's no need to worry about me, really. You have family to see and spend time with. I mean Derek's finally home and Desiree's okay and you have Cindy back. Really, I'm fine."

Fran defied the blonde and looked to her son, "Give us two minutes and we'll be back out." Fran told Derek and watched him look at Penelope before he left them alone. "I've seen these types of tears before, believe me, and I know I'll see them a lot more in this life time. Who is he?"

"He _was_ my boyfriend," Penelope admitted freely, she wasn't in the slightest that this woman had the same effect Derek had on her. She made her comfortably enough to speak, broke walls in just a few words. Putting her head in her hands, Penelope almost growled in anger, "He doesn't understand what Derek means to me, he never has."

"What does Derek mean to you?" Fran asked as she put her hand on Penelope's, "Once you admit that to yourself you'll find everything else has reason."

Penelope had literally had her life saying thrust back at her and she had to believe in it, "He's my hero." She only managed to whisper as she looked out of the doorway at Derek, "Literally my everything and anything. We have our bad days, but it makes our good days even better. He's my hero for saving me years ago, and for continually saving me now."

"Now do you lose your everything or do you keep the man that wants you to throw it all away?" Fran asked Penelope simply. "That's your point of call, but believe me, Penelope, you have saved my son every day you have known him. I know that for a fact."

"I don't want to lose everything," Penelope murmured softly as everything made sense.

Fran smiled, "Then don't, embrace it." She smiled as Penelope appeared more settled, "C'mon, I think Derek wants to make you a Morgan for the night."

Smiling, Penelope took a deep breath, composed herself and allowed Fran guided Penelope to sit amongst the women in the living room.

Once she had left Penelope with Derek's sisters, she then made a beeline for her son. "You need to keep her," Fran told her son in a hushed tone. "She owns more of you than you think."

_She's had my heart forever_, Derek thought as he looked back to Penelope fitting right into the Morgan family fold.

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Time For Heroes -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-**


End file.
